NASA Image of the Day

Saturday, July 22, 2017

I am Canadian. Historically, I live in a country which has tried, as much as possible, to consider other governments, and vote in one that cares about our people, here. It has not always been formulaically perfect, but the checks and balances inherent in our current 3-party - and burgeoning - parliamentary system still allow for representation that embraces what is best about the best, a strong sense of identity - and room for growth and change. Despite the years of both taking it for granted, and abuse of it by other countries, our model of social concern and basic healthcare and "don't fall through the cracks" sustaining, "get back on your feet", social net is still envied, globally. Our sensibility is, like it or not, a part of that, and, thus......we are still different.

Different still means scary to some people. Although we like to include everyone in the fixes we find to problems, nationally, sometimes imported problems begin to erode the mosaic, still the progress, and - in the guise of "entitlements and inclusion" - slowly begin to erode basic freedoms and rights which we very quietly begin to take stock of.....before they are stripped from us by cultural confusion.

"Isms" in all of their denoted, noted, and stressed disdain, or frowned upon. We identify with the idea of a round table that has, at its heart, crucible ethic and personal responsibility....but we begin to be buffeted by those who come here, bereft, saddened, angered......and finally free. No one is free to take away someone else's free. We must be clear about that, within this "change in surroundings". Sometimes, we have to make people understand why we are beginning to be a little impolite about, amidst the fears of its destruction.

Lately, the feminine perspective and progress we have made on the fronts of equality, representation, and the ability to formulate and pursue personal goals and aspirations have become confused with imported anger, cultural alienation....and a perception of entitlement which does nothing to further women being taken seriously in the world of politics, political scrum, and global progress, in a time of monumental leaps back, in the consideration of our own mortality as a species. In desperation, our neighbours to the south, confused by that same cultural animosity, both from within and without, look to us with mosaic hope, but with real, and valid, fear about what it might take to achieve and acquire sensibility that does not necessarily have to be inlaid with gold bullion, or a bewildering loss of basic rights and freedoms, as they understand them. We have forgotten that the peace and tranquility we seek, in our temples of contemplation, places of respite, and remembered home spaces, however humble....must begin with us, and towards each other.

And to make peace with one's self is to begin to take stock of one's flaws, desire, errors...and desire to still make life, and effort meaningful. This can be very difficult for some people. Why? Because it can only ever begin with one's self. You can NEVER change anyone else, no matter what programming, bullying, social denial, repression, or just plain cruelty is used to achieve the erasing of the human spirit. You can only kill it. And when you kill it.....you kill a part of yourself. It is the most idiotic, downright despicable act one human being can exhibit towards another, in a supposedly civil society, amongst a supposed progressive species, and between examples of a Creation modeled upon, arguably, the Intelligent Design of an otherworld sensibility - without dismissing the spiritual, in any dimension, of which we only have glimpses in the eyes, and minds, and recognized humility, of our brightest, and best. We are still, I believe, only a part of our part in this life: thus the brain capacity, the retention capacity - and the insistence we have on retarding each other as a result of jealousy, what and how we use the tools at hand, and the forgotten notion that we can achieve truly wonderful things in the garden that is this planet, if only we stop disrupting the balance of carbon, emotion and intellect that is our unique makeup.

Carbon makeup?Physical appetites and sustenance needs.

Emotional capacity?Compassion, sensibility and responsibility without a preponderance of unending cruelty and the erasing of hope and wonderment, coupled with the idea of real, sustained effort, a renewed sense of caring which INCLUDES ourselves and what we present to the world, and a genuine respect for loss, bewilderment, sadness, joy, and all the moments and hope we share as beings.

Einstein's warning to the creative mind of an age was always the consideration that the hopeful capacity for betterment must always be weighed against the dark reality of the exploited scientist, the abused and abused mind in a repressive, abusive society, and the knowledge that safeguards must always be a part of the deep understanding about the regressive aspects and proclivities of human nature and the quest for power and control. This is frustrating for the naturally ethical, creative, inventive mind...but necessary. It still makes them sad, sometimes, however, when what "could be" sometimes seems so very far removed from our daily lives, and what we hope for, for each other.

But what of now? The immediate needs of a populace, the "jumpstart trigger" of a society insistent upon avoiding the study of historical power and the advent of "The New Hemp", is a testament to careful decisions made by a society determined to learn from itself, but not be swayed by arguments which experience, reality and education now determine to be weak defenses of power and control, at best. Again... power and control.

The acknowledgement of the caretaking aspect of our society need not exclude, by default, our very capacity to carry on with life, replacing it with an imposed sense and hysterical, typically characterized "tree hugger" sweeping assessment that never allows for the imperfect security decision in a moment of stress, the oil spill, the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.......the ensuing destruction of industries which depend upon our ability to stay alive - which is most of them.

This imposed and terrified stasis that ignores the reality of global warming and denies the necessity for nature to begin to heal its scars - while we examine and determine how we can stop creating them - is the result of the sudden shock of recognition, and the understanding that the same way we begin to twist our judicial systems, the corruption of its protectors for agenda, and the abuse of the creative spirit will truly mean our demise, if we allow it. It can be scary....but it doesn't need to be. We can always begin now.We can begin to be our best, creative, happier selves.

Right now, governments concerned about empowering people can consider what we can give back, and not what we can take away, BEFORE assessing taxation issues and imposing more of a tax burden. This, they demand of the payer....but when does it begin "at home, in The House?" Before we strangle new economic growth, entrepreneurial efforts, the newest new businesses, real efforts to "be the next Apple", and the start of service businesses and new ideas that creates jobs for the kids of tomorrow, by the imposition of an unreasonable minimum wage......we have to do the work required to take a different approach. We OWE that to effort.

How? Start with what we have, governmentally speaking. We have people who care. We have public facilities and services which are not SUPPOSED to make a profit; they are supposed to be selfsustaining, provide a service, and meet the needs of a populace. They should never have inherited debtloads, and "debt reduction" fees. No one should have received a bonus for ending a tenure with these things....private industry only did when they acquired public monies to do it, without first REMOVING the obscenity of million dollar bonuses to prop up industries that threatened societal implosion. With those monies, must come seats at the accountability boardroom tables and a public safeguard of public monies that comes with it in the guise of that new person at the board meeting - whether the bolstered industry likes it or not: and it goes without saying that that representation will, ideally not be an industry patsy or a pushover. They will enforce accountability when there is a demand for public monies to bolster an industry. Period.

Originally, people supposedly became involved in this work because of an inherent sense of ethics and concern which extended to others. How do THEY get from A to B?

1. In a less ethereal, financial sense, the proverbial A to B is an actual, and physical one.

Therefore, Encourage the use of public transit in urban areas by reduced and or, severely discounted, passes for use OF public transit to government employees - FIRST. Keep track of increased usage, increased ridership, and the new needs, routes, and efforts of people who want to help, who want to work, and who are SICK of being referred to as THE WORKING POOR. People may already use these venues....and they now instantly have more money to spend. It will be immediate, and surprising, what should happen next: discount rates for high traffic times during the day for the general populace, after six months.

Why? Because it will begin to be the norm in cities again, to take public transit. With a little extra effort, you can still get there, save money (for that new car, maybe...but maybe a hybrid), a vacation.....that mortgage you'd really like. The numbers guys will need to put their skills to use in order to watch it happen. And it will be a six month test project for a government sponsored thing (public transit) with encouragement via GIVING SOMETHING BACK to people, instead of taking more from them.

If you can afford to get there, it will STILL be worth making the effort to do so: the humble job, the morning class.....the part-time gig that offsets that fixed income, made possible by an allowance which allows for an instant, and immediate, ability to AUGMENT those fixed amounts - unemployement, training allowances, fixed pensions - by

2. INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKE WITHOUT PENALTY BY WORKING by between five and ten percent while being empowered by these temporary, not cyclical, social safety nets which are the hallmarks of a civil society, not an indicator of its weaknesses - even twenty percent, in some cases, where age and increased medical expenses as a result of age or responsibility mean more of that fixed income is spoken for, or effort is made impossible or unreasonable, when coupled with child care expenses or unhelpful punishment of efforts to better oneself towards independence, without moral judgement about the reasons why family units are not the 1950's model. This is REAL and IMMEDIATE fiscal encouragement that REWARDS, not PUNISHES, effort, at its most basic. This is an acknowledgement that ageism and youth and ageism and an older working force can help each other with renewed enthusiasm and a respect for a learned work ethic....and work together, with respect.

At the very root, these two actions on the part of government - simple actions which strengthen other educational, social, health, and infrastructure responsibilities and programs - will INSTANTLY ENCOURAGE AND EMPOWER those who still hope and dream, and continue towards the dream Americans talk about when, in confusion, they vote in the selfmade man who now says he wants to extend the formula for success to the very people that made him financially able to hold that pen, and their fate, in a different kind of challenge. Whether he is interested in capacity and possibility, the New Deal or the Old Wheel remains to be seen, but in the midst of that learning curve, we CAN DO something NOW. What occurs almost immediately will surprise these powerful men, for, as Gino Vanelli said - and said well....."People gotta move."

About Me

This author's book, "Rock Woman at Rest" is available at iuniverse.com, Sarnia, Ontario, "Cheeky Monkey Records", downtown Sarnia, and "The Stardust Lounge Bookstore", Sarnia, Ontario...and from the author, signed. "Poems from Butterscotch Cottage" available at iuniverse.com, "Cheeky Monkey Records", downtown Sarnia, and via the author, signed...
"Poems from Butterscotch Cottage" available through Xlibris.com bookstore, in person at "The Petrolia Bookstore", Petrolia, Ontario, "The Cheeky Monkey" records, downtown Sarnia, and from the author, signed with a personal message, if buying as a gift.
Both are available on loan from the Lambton County Library system, if you would like to read them for free, and can't afford your own copy.
Visit and sing along with her to "Throw Another Log on the Fire" at http://www.reverbnation.com/dawnmnevills#1
Original artwork for sale at http://www.ButterscotchCottage.vpweb.ca,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DawnMNevills
or this website.
Contact:
DawnMNevills@butterscotchcottage.vpweb.ca
or
duty@brktel.on.ca
or
dawnmnevills@myspace.com
or
DawnMNevills@yahoo.com.ph